Trolley for trench machines and the like



Feb; 27, 11923. 1,446,724 J. F. REILLY TROLLEY FOR TRENCH MACHINES vAND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 24, 1921 2 sheets-sheet 1 l'nz erwar JmwFRezL .4

Feb. 27, 1923. 1,44%,724

J. F. REELLY TROLLEY FOR TRENCH MACHINES AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 24, 1921 2 sheets-sheet 2 1 1, 9; 6. JW. 4

Patented Feb. 2?, i923.

TEGLLEY FOE THENCE Application filed fear-rust 1 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatl JAMES F. REILLY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania have: invented certain new ad useful Improvements in Trolleys for Trench lvlachines and the like, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to trolleys for trench machines and the li re; that is to say, to traveling carriages, and the co-act-ing parts, for elevating and transporting the buckets used for carrying the materials in and about trench and sin'iilar engineering operations. The object of my in vention is to provide an improved form of trolley, or carriage, and parts coacting therewitln adaptedto be used on an overhead trackway and operated by a sim'pletype of power unit, which apparatus will be simple and efficient in its op eration, which will afford a maximum of safety for the persons engaged in and about the work, and which may be quickly and efficiently m'anipulaed, being to a large extent automatic in its action and adapted'to be controlled entirely by a single operator located at the powerunit.

lVith the foregoing object in view my invention contemplates the provision of an improved form of trolley or carriage arranged to be supported from and travel on an over head trackway, such as the lower flange of an I beam, which may,,i11 turn, be supported in any suitable manner, said carriage being provided with a suitable sheave over which the cable for elevating the bucket passes, being further provided with a pulley block through which the elevating cable also passes, and being further provided with means adapted to automatically engage and support the pulley block in its elevated position while the bucket carried thereby is being transported by the trolley or carriage along the trackway, and also being provided with means whereby the pulley block may be automatically released upon certain manipulations of the cables for elevating the pulley block and for transporting the same with the bucket carried thereby.

The nature and characteristic features of my invention will-be more readily understoodf'rom the following description taken inconnecion with the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, in which:

Figure 1 is a sicl'e'elevation of a trolley PENNSYLVANIA.

MACHINES AND LIKE.

Serial No. 495,060.

or carriage embodying the mainfeatures of my present invention, with the co-acting pulley block shown suspended therefrom;

Figure 2 isan end elevation thereof;

Figure 3 is a vertical central section thereof taken approximately on the line 2, but with the pulley block shown in its supported position within the trolley or carriage and the positions of certain of the parts for releasing the said pulley block from the carriage being shown in dotted lines;

Figure 4- is a vertical section taken approximately on the line ltof Fig. 3; and

Figure 5 is a horizonul section taken approximately on the line 5 5 of Fig. the pulley block being omitted.

Referring to the drawings, in the particular embodiment of my invention therein shown, the trolley or carriage comprises a framework 10, made up of suitable structural sl'iapes and plates, said framework being provided with. l'iearing blocks 11 in the upper portion thereof; whichbearing blocks form a reams of support for stud shafts 12 upon which flanged wheels 13 are journaled. The flanged wheels 18 form a means" for supporting the trolley or carriage upon a'suitable trackworln which may comprise an I beam 1 upon the lower flange 15 of which the wheels 13 are adapted to travel: v

' To one of the cross members 16 of the framework 10 there is attached, in'any suit-- able manner, one end of a cable 17, which cable 17 thence extends downward and around a pulley'18 of a pulley block 19, thence passing upward and around a 'sheave 20, which is journaled on a shaft 21, which shaft 21 in turn is supported by means of blocks QQsecured in any suit-able manner at the proper location in the framework 10 of the trolley or carriage. After passing around the sheave 20 the cable 17 extends to and adapted to wound upon a controllable drum of the power unit; not shown, There is also attached to the trolley or carriagc 10 one end of another cable which also extends to and is adapted to be wound upon another controllable drum of the power unit, not shown.

The pulley block 19 comprises sideplatcs having on the outer faces thereof horizontally arranged bars 25, which are secured to the side plates 24 in any suitablenranner'. A shaft 26 is supported in'the'sideplates 24;,

l cable 17 passes, for the purpose of support-- ing said pulley in, the lower loop thereof each other. h [ounted in the lower portions 7 and in the bars 25, and forms a means for yournallng the pulley 13 around whlch the Between the side plates 24 there is mounted a casting 27 extending around below the pulley 18 and forming a means for properly spacing the side plates 24 with respect; to-

of the plates 24 is a transverse bolt 28 forming a means for supporting the hook 29, upon which the buckets for handling}; the material in and about the work are adapted to be mounted, the hook 29 being attached to the bolt 28 by means of suitable links 30 and 31. vThe side plates 24 and the reinforcing bars 25 are provided with extensions forming shoulders 32, which are provided to constitute a means for seating the pulley block within the trolley or carriage while the same is being transported along the track way 14. The upper portion of each of the plates 24 is provided with inclined margins for a purpose to be presently explained.

At each of the lower corners of the framework of the trolley or carriage there is journaled a shaft 35, and near eachend of each of said shafts,'adjacent the side members of the framework 10 of the trolley or car riage, there are mounted brackets 36, to which brackets 36 there are secured bars 37, extending transversely across the trolley or carriage, and normally resting upon and supported by bars 38 which extend across and are secured to the bottom portions of the respective side members of the frame 10 of the trolley or carriage. One of the brackets 36 on each of the shafts 35 is provided with a lever arm 39 having one end of a connecting rod 40 pivotally connected to its outer end. The other end of each connecting rod 40 is pivotally connected to the outer end of a lever 41, which is secured to a shaft 42 journaled in the side members of the framework 10 of the trolley or carriage. The shafts 42 are also each provided, at each end. thereof, with levers 43 extending inwardly, and carrying at their inner ends transversely extending rods 44, which are solocated as to be adapted to be encountered by the upper inclined. margins 33 of the side plates24 of the pulley block.

The bars 37, which are pivot-ally supported by means of the shafts 35, are normally adapted to be encountered and raised out of their normal positions by means of said inclined margins of the side plates 24 of the pulley block, and thereafter when the same are permitted to return to their normal positions, to form a seat for the shoulders 32, which are provided on the pulley block 1 9', as hereinbefore described. Each of the shafts 35 is also provided with a centrally located tripping member 45 having an arm or lug 46 normally depending The operation of the apparatus may now be explained. Assuming that the pulley or carriage is in a position directly over the work at the point where a digging operation is taking place,'and froniwhich point it is necessary to transport certain materials, a bucket, (not shown), being filled with materials to be transported is connected in.

any desired manner to the hook 29, which has been lowered for that purpose. cable 23 is now held taut, through the proper control of its winding drum, by the operator at the power unit, and the cable 17 is then wound upon its drum to cause the pulley block 19 to be thereby elevated until the inclined margins 33 of the side plates 24 encounter the bars 37 and cause the same to be raised a sufiicient distance to permit the pulley block to pass, after which the bars 37 will fall by gravity to their normal positions, resting upon the bars ,38 which are secured at the lower end of the framework 10 of the trolley or carriage. Either of the cables 23 or 17 may now be ,slacked oft, whereupon the shoulders 32 of the pulley block will seat themselves upon the upper surfaces of the bars 37 and will be'positively supported thereby. According now to whichever direction the material is to be transported one of the cables 17 or 23 will be wound upon its drum, and the other cable permitted to slack off, and the trolley or carriage will be thereby transported along the traclnvay 14in. one direction or the other, as the case may be. When the trol ley or carriage has arrived at the point where the material is to be delivered, the bucketxis either removed therefrom and replaced by an empty bucket, or if a dropbottom bucket be usechthe bottom is actuated to permit the material. to be emptied therefrom. x

The trolley or carriage will then be returned to the point of the digging operation by the winding of the proper cable upon its drum and the slacking ofi ofthe other cable. the pulley block being still supported within thetrolley or carriage. To new release the pulley block from the trolley or carriage to: thereby permit the bucket to be lowered, the cable 23 is now held taut,

and the cable 17 is wound upon its drum to ause the pulley block 19 to be elevated a suflicient distance until the inclined margins 33 of the side plates 24 of the pulley block encounter the transverse-rods 44carried by the levers '43, forcing the same up- The ward, whereby the levers 41, which are carried by the shafts 42, upon which the levers as are mounted, will, through the intermediary of the connecting rods 40 and the lovers 39, rotate the shafts 85, thereby elevating the bars 37 out of the path of the shoulders 32 of the pulley block 19. The shafts 35 which carry the'bars 37 are given a sufiicient angular'rotation so that the bars 37 will be carried to points where the action of gravity thereon will be eliminated and the bars will then tend to remain in elevated positions. The member 47 will serve to limit the upward movement of the pulley block 19 toinsure theproper actuation of the foregoing parts. The cable 17 will now be slacked off and the pulley block 19 will thereby be permitted to descend, but in so doing, the shoulders 32 after passing the elevated bars 37, will encounter the lugs 16 of the tripping members 45, which are carried by the shafts 35, and will thereby rotate said shafts a sufhcient angular extent to cause the bars 37 to again fall by gravity to their normal positions, the pulley block 19 having meanwhile passed below the bars 37. The pulley block is now permitted to descend sufficiently to enable the empty bucket to be removed from the hook 29 and a filled bucket attached thereto, after which the operation may be repeated.

It will be seen that there is thus provided a simple and efiicient trolley apparatus for handling the materials in and about trench and other engineering operations in which the load will be positively held while the same is being transported, thus affording a maximum of safety for the persons employed in and about the work, the arrangement being such that the pulley block will be positively supported within the trolley or carriage while being transported, and will be positively held therein, notwithstanding that either or both of the cables may be slacked off or should break while the load is being transported, Furthermore, the arrangement is such that the entire apparatus may be operated by means of a simple type of engine or other power unit having but two drums, the manipulation of which will serve to perform all of the elevating, transporting and releasing operations so that the elevating and transporting of the buckets may if desired be entirely controlled by a single operator located at the power unit.

Having thus described the nature and characteristic features of my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In apparatus of the character described the combination of an overhead trackway, a carriage suspended therefrom and adapted to travel upon said trackway, a controllable cable extending downward in a loop from said cariage, a pulley block suspended. in

said'loopof said cable, members mounted in the carriage and adapted to be moved aside by said pulley block and to then return to their normal positions to' form a seat for supporting. said pulley block in said carriage, means adapted to be encountered and operated by said pulley block when the same'passes to a predetermined position in the carriage for moving said supporting members to positions whereby the pulley block may be permitted to pass below the same, and means actuated by the pulley block as the'same descends to positively return said supporting members to their normal operative positions.

2. In apparatus of the character described the combination of an overhead trackway, a carriage suspended therefrom and adaated to travel upon said trackway, a controllable cable extending downward in a loop from said carriage, a pulley block suspended in said loop of said cables, members mounted in the carriage and adapted to be moved aside by said pulley block and to then return to their normal positions to form a seat for supporting said pulley block in said carriage, members movably mounted in said carriage arranged above said supporting members and adapted to be encountered and operated by said pulley block when the same passes to a predetermined position in the carriage, link tworld :connectedg' with said members for moving said supporting members to positions whereby the pulley block may be permitted to pass below the same, and means actuated by the pulley block as the same descends to return said supporting members to their normal operative positions.

3. In apparatus of the character described the combination of an overhead trackway, a carriage suspended therefrom and adapted to travel upon said trackway, a controllable cable extending downward in a loop from said carriage, a pulley block suspended in said loop of said cable, bars pivotally mounted in the carriage and adapted to be raised by said pulley block and to then return to their normal positions to form a seat for supporting said pulley block in said carriage, members movably mounted in said carriage arranged above said supporting bars and adapted to be encountered and operated by said pulley block when the same passes to a predetermined position in the carriage, link work connected. with said members for moving said supporting bars to positions whereby the pulley block may be permitted to pass below the same, and means actuated by the pulley block as the same descends to return said supporting bars to their normal operative positions.

4. In apparatus of the character described the combination of an overhead trackway, a carriage suspended therefrom and adapted to travel upon said trackway, a

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countered and operated bysaid pulley block when the same passes to a predetermined position in the carriage,link work connected with said members for moving said supporting bars to positions whereby the pulley block may be permitted to pass below the same, and tripping members operatively connected with said supporting bars adapted to be encountered by the pulley block as the same descends to thereby return said supporting bars to their normal operative positions. 1 i

5. In apparatus of the character described the combination of an overhead trackway a carriage suspended therefrom and adapted to travel upon said trackway a controllable cable extending downward in a loop from said carriage, a pulleyblock suspended in said loop of said cable, said pulley blOOliL' having shoulders extending therefrom, bars pivotally mounted in the carriagei and adapted tobe raised by said pulley block and to then return to their normal positions to form a seat for supporting said pulley block in said carriage, a stop member mounted in said carriage adapted to limit the upward movement of said pulley'block in said carriage, members movably mounted in said carriage arranged above said supporting-bars and adapted to be encountered and operated by said pulley block when the same passes to the uppermost position-in the carriage link work connected with said members for moving said supporting bars to positions whereby the pulley block may be permitted to pass below JAMES F. REILLY. 

